


In Her Bones

by Willowy



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 19:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16435043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowy/pseuds/Willowy
Summary: When JJ leaves yet again to help Spencer, Will questions where her priorities really lie.





	In Her Bones

 

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

JJ's grapefruit spoon fell to the floor, clattering as she grabbed her phone and took the call. "Emily - do you have him? Is he okay?" The concern and panic in her voice evident.

Will swallowed a sigh. Another family breakfast interrupted by the BAU. He felt selfish as the thought crossed his mind. He leaned down to pick up her spoon and took their plates from the breakfast nook to the kitchen. With Henry at school and Michael still sleeping, he had thought they'd have a few moments together. He'd looked forward to it.

He cared about them all, he did. They were his friends too, and he knew them to be exemplary people. He knew too, that part of the bargain he had struck in order to marry the woman he loved was that these people would be present, and would be important, always. He had long ago made his peace with that.

But why was it always  _him_  who took her away? Whether physically or emotionally or both, JJ's attention was laser-focused whenever Spencer Reid was involved. Will's intellect and experience as a cop wouldn't allow him to minimize what was going on with Reid's predicament right now. He knew it was bad. He would help any way that he could. But it was his wife's reaction that rankled... that dug into his gut like a trowel. He felt himself girding against the familiar dread of her pulling away, until "Spence" was okay, until he was out of whatever danger was pressing, this time.

Sometimes he flashed on the suspicion that Spencer did it on purpose. Created these situations so JJ would be compelled to set aside everything else and shift her attention to him. But as soon as the thought occurred, he dismissed it, every time. The stakes were always too dire for there to be any ulterior motive, and he knew in his heart that Reid was a very good person, and completely unadept at subterfuge.

Despite all that, Will also knew that the man they were all working to save... had always been and still was... deeply in love with his wife.

"Emily... did you GET him?" JJ repeated, pacing.

"Yes, this is a crappy line so I hope you're hearing me but we got him and he's coming home to the BAU, briefly. We'll be there in 20, JJ. Will you be- can I tell him you'll be...?"

"Copy that, coming now,  _right_  now" she said.

She hung up the phone and spun around, nearly bumping into her husband. "Sorry to cut it short." She nodded to the breakfast table.

"Yeah  _cher_ , I heard."

"Will..."

"I know."

"You're okay?"

"I'm fine, JJ. You'd better get goin'." He leaned in as she moved to peck him on the cheek.

"I'll check in when I can."

With that, she grabbed her bag and was out the door in seconds, as Will cast a doleful eye to her departing back.

* * *

JJ paced back and forth in the bullpen waiting for the rest of the team to show up with Reid. She was vaguely aware that Penelope was speaking to her but the only thing that kept tumbling around her mind was "He's going to be okay, I know he is. He's got to be okay..."

She moved to the 6th floor elevator doors as she heard them open, and her heart dropped into her stomach as she took him in. His disheveled appearance was unsettling, but she understood that. It was the handcuffs she knew he wore hiding beneath the FBI jacket that pierced her heart like a knife.

"Hi," he softly said as she approached, arms open.

He'd cleaned up as best he could on the plane, but was concerned about how he smelled after his ordeal. JJ didn't care. All she could think about was at that moment, he was safe in her arms. She reluctantly released him, and caught his gaze with hers.

"I'm so glad you're here, alive, reasonably okay..." she said, a half smile put on to set him at ease.

"...in big trouble..." he countered, his half smile matching hers.

Her blue eyes flashed, holding his and he sunk into them. In Mexico he hadn't let himself think he'd see them again, this soon, if ever. He noticed her pinched look, her worry for him still etched into her features, aging her prematurely.

"Spence, you're home now, and we're going to fix this, all of us. You are not alone, okay? No more secrets. None." Her voice managed a semblance of stern.

"Deal," he whispered, nodding, really hearing her.

Emily leaned in and said, "I've got some paperwork to pick up. Can you get him something to drink?"

JJ nodded and stood back as everyone else came forward to show Reid their love. She reached in and took him by the elbow.

"Come on, you. We haven't got much time."

She pulled him into the break room and sat him down at one of the small, round tables. He watched as she moved to the counter and went through the motions of making them tea.

"Don't you ever do anything like this ever again." She said, her back to him.

He wasn't sure he'd heard her right. "I'm sorry, what?"

She turned around and faced him, crossing her arms.

"Don't you ever... do anything like this  _ever_  again." She repeated.

He looked at her, understanding.

"I won't. I'm sorry."

He watched as she came to him, her face losing composure as she pulled off the jacket covering his handcuffs. He lifted his arms as she pushed them up, and brought them back down around her as she climbed onto his lap.

She was crying but did not show it as her arms encircled his slender frame, she curled her legs up as her face pushed into his neck. He felt her tears against his throat, then let his own fall. He tightened his arms around her when he felt her shake, and she sighed, as if she'd been holding her breath all this time.

Emily walked into the break room and stopped, seeing them holding each other, silently saying their goodbyes. They both needed this. She turned and stepped out just as the guard rounded the corner to check on Reid. She put a hand up to stop him.

"Five minutes," she said, splaying her fingers.

"Ma'am with all due respect, I have orders."

She looked him dead in the eye.

"Five minutes."

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

  


JJ slammed the door, dropping her keys into the bowl by the door and tossing down her bag. She raked her hands through her hair as she sat on the couch, then immediately stood, and started pacing. Will came in then too, closing the door behind him.

She stopped pacing for a moment and said "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Will said. "I took the boys to your mom's. Thought it better they didn't hear us talking about this all night."

 _"Or watch their mother freak out all night either,"_  she thought, but all she said was "Thanks, good thinking."

"How you doin'?" he asked, moving in to embrace her.

She resisted his hug and said "Don't, please. I'm just so tense. I can't think of anything else, and I don't... I don't want to be comforted when he's... where he is."

She didn't want to say the word 'suffering', because that would mean that Spence  _was_  suffering and even just thinking about that made her want to scream.

Will gripped her arms lightly and said " _Cher_ , he's okay right now. He's safe, in holding. Nobody can get to him. He's warm and fed and-"

JJ shrugged off his hands and raised her voice, irritated. "In  _jail,_  Will! You and I both know he's probably the least equipped of all of us to be in that situation, what it's doing to him I can only imagine. He's is most definitely  _not_  'okay' and I just need him out of there, alright? Can't you understand that?"

Will stepped back, nodding. "I can. And I know he's stronger than most give him credit for. It's a bad situation all around, darlin'. Listen, you know that your team is gonna move heaven and earth to find this other guy... they won't let this go until they've found the real killer. He's got the best team I've ever seen fighting for him right now, and he knows it."

"Meanwhile I sit here doing  _nothing!"_  she shouted. She moved around Will and grabbed her keys. "I'm going to go check on Diana, bring her up to speed and make sure she's got everything she needs. At least I can do that much for him."

* * *

Reid sat on a bench in DCPD holding, just waiting. Ever since the drugs had abated he'd been on edge. Big surprise. He stood and ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. He  _knew_  he was innocent, he just wished he could remember more. Why didn't they even try to follow the truck he was chasing?

He clenched his fists and sat down, his knee bouncing with tension, frustration. He folded his arms in on himself and doubled over.

"Hey, Spencer, you okay?" Detective LaMontagne came around the corner of the holding cell, a file in hand.

Spencer looked up. He stood. "Hi Will. I'm fine, what are you... what's happening?"

Will gestured to the guard to open the cell door. "Can you come with me for a minute?", he said to Spencer. He looked to the guard, "It's okay Charlie, thank you, I got him."

"Detective, I have to cuff the prisoner," Charlie said.

"Nope. We're just gonna talk right there," said Will, gesturing up the hallway to a closed room.

Charlie unlocked the holding cage, and Spencer thanked him before following Will down the hall.

The two men went inside the nearly empty room, two chairs and a table the only furnishings.

"Sit down." Will said.

"Will, what..." Spencer began, lowering himself into the chair.

Will took the seat across the table from him and said "You're in a lot of trouble, Spencer. And that makes a lot of trouble for me and mine. You're family, you are. And family can't let that go. We help."

Reid tried to scan the other man, tried to listen what Will was saying and profile where he was headed with this, but so much was still so unclear. He nodded.

"So there's a couple of things that I've got to ask you about. Some things that don't add up."

Reid looked at him. "I know. And I wish I could remember more. I'm trying and some things are coming back, but... how can I help?"

"So the murder weapon, the knife... do you remember using it, or just picking it up? Think hard, now." Will said.

"It's all so hazy... Scratch saw to that... but from what I know, from what I can see in my mind's eye, I picked it up."

"Now think hard on this because it's important. Did you pick it up by the blade, or by the hilt?"

Spencer squinted and looked away, his eyes unfocusing as he tried to remember. "It... the blade. It was the blade. It's how I cut my hand, Will! The third person didn't slash it like I thought, I picked up the knife blade first, cutting my hand open!"

"Okay, that's good, that's what I figured. Wait here a second." Will got up to leave the room.

Spencer asked "Where are you going?"

"Make a phone call." He opened the door and looked back over his shoulder. "How many killers you know stab their victims  _while holding the blade?"_

Spencer smiled inwardly. True, that.

"Sometimes cops will do for other cops what they won't for FBI. I'm callin' Mexico because I'm willing to bet your DNA wasn't on the handle of that knife," Will said.

Spencer allowed himself a glimmer of hope for the moment and said, "Thank you, Will. Thanks for believing in me."

"Don't thank me yet. When I get back we're gonna talk about that truck you were chasin'."

Spencer watched him go and leaned back in the stiff chair, feeling the tiniest amount of relief for the first time in days.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

JJ drove. She didn't even know where she was going, hard as it was to focus these past few days. She'd checked in with Diana and all had seemed well, though she acted more skittish than was normal for her. She didn't know if she'd include that in her report to Spence. It was late and she'd be late getting home, but she just needed to clear her head. She rolled down the window and let the night breeze toss her hair, hopefully it would blow away some cobwebs.

Spence. For the millionth time she wondered what he was doing right now, and tried to picture him. She knew it was past time for lights out, and she wanted to hope that he was, at the very least, remotely comfortable. And safe. She'd picked up some more clothes for him and would take them to him tomorrow, but she felt such a longing to see him right now. She didn't want to imagine what he was doing, she wanted to be with him, right this moment. She reflected on earlier today when she'd been in his lap, holding him for dear life, and she wondered at how real and honest it felt holding him like that, and why his arms around her always felt like bliss.

She knew she loved him, but this… this awful thing that had just hit him ratcheted her feelings to a whole new level. A level that she was struggling with on top of everything else because she couldn't control it. She couldn't believe that all this was happening to him. Her Spence. The most noble, the kindest person she'd ever known.

She did a quick self-profile and knew that she was being over-protective, over-worried, and that if she didn't take this down a notch she could very well make herself sick… and then what good would she be to Spence? Above all, she realized what she really wanted was to put a literal  _fence_  around him. She didn't want a shred of harm to come to him in and... and didn't want anyone else to touch him, especially the type of men she knew were in there with him. God no! Aside from that, she admitted to herself that she wanted to be his sole source of comfort, of affection, of… of…

Wait.

_No._

That couldn't be it.

JJ pulled over, jerking her steering wheel and hitting her brakes hard, her tires kicking up dirt and rocks at the sudden stop. The shock of her sudden realization was almost too much for her. She was flat-out exhausted and her stress levels were at the highest in her memory, now  _this?_  She brought her hands to her face and shook her head as if to rid herself of this new knowledge, this new awareness.

JJ opened her eyes and looked out the car window, and that's when she finally noticed her surroundings, where she had pulled over, and the building she now sat parked in front of.

She was at the jail.

* * *

He laid back on the hard, narrow bench in the dark, the coarse blanket itchy on his exposed skin, and tried to close his eyes. Tomorrow was his bail hearing and he was sure he'd get it, wouldn't he? Nothing had gone according to plan thus far though, so why should it? His thoughts, as always, turned to JJ. How could he have been so stupid as to fall into Scratch's trap? How could he have let her down like that? Let his godsons down? When she came to him today and sat with him, cried with him, it had meant more than he could ever say, more than he could ever believe. He needed to make this right, to have the chance to make it right with her, for her. If she only knew how precious she was to him, how  _necessary…_  for the millionth time he wished with everything inside him that he could tell her.

There was a loud bang as the outer door opened, then he heard voices. The guard was talking to someone… arguing, telling them to come back tomorrow. It had to be about him, didn't it? He was the only one here… the BAU had been able to see to that, at least. He stood up, moving to the edge of the bars to try and get a better look… and then there she was. She hurried to him and he met her at the bars, their hands instantly meeting through the gaps, though she was careful not to touch his injury.

"Spence…" she said, her eyes locking with his.

"JJ, hi! God, what are you doing here this late?" His concern for her superseding all other emotions.

"I… I went and checked on your mom, and she's okay, she's good, but then I couldn't sleep and I couldn't… Spence I couldn't get you out of my mind tonight. And I needed… please… I needed to see you and make sure you were fine, and… are you?" She held both his hands through the bars and she felt like she'd never let him go.

"I'm so glad you're here. I can't sleep either, I'm worried about tomorrow and… you were on my mind too."

She reached a hand up to stroke his face and he leaned his cheek into her palm. "JJ…"

"I know… look the guard won't let me in there with you tonight, but I need you to know that I'll be in that courtroom with you tomorrow. We all will, but I won't take my eyes off you. I want you to know you have every bit of the support I have to give, and…" Her vision blurred with the fresh tears that came, unbidden.

Spencer gave a sharp intake of breath when he saw her eyes fill. He bent his head to hers and held her face gently through the bars, his thumb wiping away those that fell. "Shhh… it's going to be alright. I've been telling myself that all day and you have to listen to me, too."

She looked up at him and nodded. "I know, and god knows I didn't come here so you could comfort me, just the opposite. I want… I want to be in there with you, holding you, talking about this all night if you want… just so you know, you know you aren't alone, Spence, you aren't  _alone!"_

"I am, JJ, but it's okay and I want you to know that it's okay. There is no way I'd ever want you to be going through this, too. I never thought this would happen, not in a million years, and I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry…"

Spencer's apology was cut short as he abruptly felt the heady sensation of being kissed. Her hands went to his face and the cold steel of the bars seemed to melt away as her lips met his again and again… the kiss deepening with each breath. He felt her warmth spreading through him like a tonic as her mouth played against his, dizzying him, calming him, strengthening him, all at the same time. He reached his arms through and pulled her closer as they kissed, and god he never wanted this to stop… was it really even happening? His head was spinning in the best of ways and there may as well not have been any bars between them as far as he knew.

They broke apart, gasping, both flushed and breathing hard and she smiled as she ran her thumb over his freshly swollen lips. He released her from his embrace and grabbed her hand, entwining his fingers through hers and staring into her eyes, her pupils blown so open he couldn't see a trace of their normal dazzling blue.

He pulled her hand up and kissed it, his face serene, yet questioning. She reached through and put a hand on his chest.

"I think we have a lot to talk about," she said, her face becoming serious.

"JJ… what… I mean, I'm definitely not complaining, and that was just about the most perfect thing you could have done… but why?"

"Something… something hit me tonight, Spence. At first I thought I was having a nervous breakdown, or a panic attack… but no. I realized something important tonight, and we need to talk about it. Are you okay?"

It was like something from a dream. He couldn't believe what he thought he was hearing, so he nodded, watching her, as if he looked away she'd vanish in a puff of smoke.

The outer door clanged again and the guard shouted "Lady, come on, you gotta get outta there now."

"I've got to go. But let's get you bailed out tomorrow so we can discuss this in a more… welcoming environment, alright?"

He returned her gaze, the corners of his mouth turning up in the closest facsimile to a smile he'd accomplished in weeks.

"Deal," he whispered.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Emily stood at the front of the courtroom talking to Reid's lawyer, Fiona Duncan. Emily's gratitude was evident that she'd taken Reid's case, and after meeting with him and interrogating him, Fiona was sure she'd made the right decision. Of course, there wasn't much she wouldn't do for Emily Prentiss, they'd been close for decades. She was glad to have this opportunity to help Spencer as well, who obviously meant so much to so many of these people, and who was clearly innocent.

JJ sat up front, directly behind where Reid would be sitting when he was brought in. She wanted her face to be the first thing he saw when he was led in.  _Led in._  The thought of Spence spending one single moment more in handcuffs was almost more than she could bear. She squared her shoulders as she remembered to be strong for him, regardless of the outcome. But there was no way he wasn't getting out, was there? All the evidence they had was circumstantial.

Rossi stood by, ready to post bail, regardless of the amount. The entire rest of the team were all there, showing their stalwart support by their presence, their silence reflective of their concern.

The courtroom side door opened and Spencer was brought through. He locked eyes with JJ and she felt a lump rise in her throat at his scared expression. She nodded confidently, then lifted her chin, reminding him to do the same. She smiled her most empathetic smile that she could muster, and felt reassured when he smiled back.

Spencer sat down and Fiona leaned in to talk to him, speaking low. The Judge entered the courtroom and everyone stood.

"US v. Reid" the bailiff announced, and Spencer's heart sank. He'd never thought he'd hear those words in his lifetime.

From that moment on, it did not go well. The prosecution declared Reid a flight risk because of his trips to Mexico, and the testy judge agreed. Fiona tried her best to counter, using Reid's job, friends and fellow agents, and incapacitated mother as logical reasons why he wouldn't leave, that he was compelled to stay and clear his good name, and that he'd surrender both his passports, and submit to monitoring.

The prosecutor attacked, arguing how easy it would be for Reid to acquire false documentation and reiterated the flight risk. The judge had heard enough, apparently in a hurry to get to dinner, and she ruled against bail. Reid was remanded to custody until trial, approximately three months from that day.

JJ's heart dropped. No. It was a like she was in a bad dream. The outer edges of her vision fogged, and she gripped the railing in front of her. As Spencer was led away he looked back at her, his expression bleak, and she said "We'll get you out, Spence, we  _will!"_

Emily confronted Fiona, "What was  _that?"_  she asked.

Fiona was visibly angry as she gripped Prentiss's arm and looked directly into her eyes. "Emily, I know. I'll get to him as soon as I can, and I won't stop until he's out, I promise. The judge-"

"-should be removed from the bench! She didn't even listen to you!" Emily cried. "Fiona we cannot let him be taken to prison. We all know what will happen to him in there!"

JJ joined them just as Fiona said "Emily, he's smart. He's got that amazing mind working for him. Once the initial shock wears off, he'll figure out how to get by in there."

"Get by?" JJ whispered, then more loudly "GET BY?" Look, Ms. Duncan this is not anyone's idea of an acceptable situation. Spence will not 'get by'  _in prison!_  That judge was negligent and I believe that should be your first course of action. File a motion to revoke her judgment!" File a dozen motions!"

"I understand what you're saying Agent Jareau, but it doesn't work like that. It would take weeks to even get a motion looked at, let alone ruled on. I'm not saying it isn't bad, but try not to worry, I have a few ideas and we're not out of ammo, yet. First thing is to get him into protective custody."

Emily reached to touch JJ's arm and said. "JJ, we're going to get him out of there, maybe not tonight-"

JJ shook off her friend's hand and said "Then when? When, Em? You know damned well what's going to happen to him in there! Maybe even tonight! Who's going to help him? God,  _Spence!"_

She turned and left the courtroom at top speed, passing Garcia in the corridor who was crying into her phone, Alvez by her side. JJ heard her say  _"...months,_  Derek! Can you meet us at the office?"

Then she was at the elevator furiously pushing the button. Too slow. She located the stairwell just as she heard Emily calling her name, but she kept going. She ran down, down the flights, her vision now blurred with stinging tears. Finally she reached the ground floor and burst out into the parking lot where she instantly emptied the contents of her stomach. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve she ran to her truck and got in, starting the ignition, she slammed it into reverse, and peeled out of the courthouse parking lot.

She'd gotten just a mile down the road when she pulled over and stopped, shoved the gear into park and folded her arms against the steering wheel. She leaned her head down and burst into tears, crying harder than ever before. "God what was he going to do? What would happen to him? " she thought as the sobs racked her small frame _. "What was she going to do?"_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

  


JJ stiffened her spine as she put the key in to unlock her front door. She knew what waited on the other side, and she mentally prepared herself for the onslaught of love her two sons would bombard her with as soon as she opened that door. Not to mention Will. She steeled herself against it because she knew it could make her crumble. She'd been holding it together for days now, on what felt like the edge of a precipice. She hated the feeling that her sons and their swarm of love could be her undoing. They were so innocent and she never wanted a moment of any of this to touch their lives. They love their Uncle Spence so. It would harm them to know any of this... and that's where she found her resolve. She would tamp down her worry, her love, and every bit of her fear for Spence until they were out of her influence. Until they'd been fed and bathed and safely tucked into bed... then she could engage her brain and her emotions again with this horrible turn of events, and figure out how to help him.

She turned the key in the lock and went in, surprised to find it quiet. She dropped her keys in the dish and set her purse down as Will came out of the hallway.

"Hey", he said, noticing her red, swollen eyes.

"Hey, she responded. "Where-"

"The boys are in the tub, playin. They've had supper. You hungry?"

JJ was surprised to find that she was. She hadn't eaten anything at all today.

She looked at him, nodding, and said "I guess."

"Fish sticks okay?"

She managed a small smile at that. "I'll just make some oatmeal." She patted her stomach. "Kinda queasy."

"Emily called. I heard,  _cher._  I can't believe it, and I'm sorry."

JJ felt her anxiety and her terror for Spence rising again and she said "I'll just go check on them real quick," as she disappeared down the hall.

Will turned and went to put the kettle on for her oatmeal. He didn't want to tell her about the knife, not with how high-strung she was right now. He didn't want to give her any false hope in case Reid's DNA had somehow migrated to the hilt. Mexican LLE was reluctant to re-test the knife until Will had explained his reasoning. It would take a few days, but as long as there was a chance, as long as this could be considered solid evidence in Spencer's favor, Will was going to see it through.

He never wanted to see an innocent man convicted, but the truth was, his own motives weren't exactly pure. As long as Spencer Reid was in this situation, Will knew he was not getting his wife back anytime soon. Every hour he could feel her slipping further and further away from him. And he wanted his wife back... more than anything.

* * *

Derek Morgan looked out the window from his seat on the 727 as they taxied down the runway. New Mexico was indeed a beautiful place, he needed to look into some property here. As he felt the jet lift off, he leaned back against the headrest and his thoughts turned to his best friend and brother in all but blood, Spencer Reid.

Derek knew it was bad, he'd been briefed by both Luke and Penelope. What he couldn't believe was that Reid had been denied bail... and that the latest was he wasn't even going back to holding, but to full-on prison to await trial? It didn't sound right, and Derek knew something was up. It had to be Scratch, somehow. His first instinct had been to smash through walls to get to Reid, to kick in the prison doors with guns blazing and yank him out of there by sheer force. Instead he'd come up with a plan. Derek wasn't sure he could help, but he damned well had to try.

He talked it through with Savannah, but ultimately it was his decision to make. And while she wasn't thrilled about it, she understood. She loved Reid too. After all, their son was partly his namesake for a reason. Spencer was one of the most honorable and brave men she'd ever met. Despite his quirks, or maybe because of them, she'd come to love him nearly as much as her husband did. And that was saying something, indeed.

Derek was startled out of his reverie by a loud snore courtesy of his seatmate, John Blackwolf. John had listened when Derek had called him, and immediately agreed to help, considering it was the 'college student' that was obviously being framed. John had remembered the odd young man when they had met on a case all those years ago, his blurty awkwardness suggesting an honesty and purity of spirit in John's eyes, and he respected that.

Derek had sought him out because it seemed to him that there was one important angle that nobody was pursuing. The third man. The guy that Reid had been chasing in the truck. Everyone had just accepted that the guy had gotten away, but Derek couldn't believe that none of those officers had seen a plate number, or even a partial. That nobody noticed the make and model of the truck, that nobody had pursued him!

John had agreed that it seemed strange. So when Derek had told John that he was now ex-FBI, and that he needed him, the best tracker Morgan had ever seen, to help hunt down this third man, John had said yes.

So there they sat, a private citizen no longer with the BAU, and a Reservation cop, flying to Brownsville to cross the border to track a fugitive in the desert outside Matamoros, Mexico.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

JJ came out from tucking the boys in and moved to the fridge to pour a glass of white before she sat down at the table, her oatmeal waiting just the way she liked it, with honey and slivered almonds. Will pulled out a chair and sat opposite her.

"Wine with oatmeal? That's new," he said, smiling.

She gave a little shake of her head. "Yep."

Will watched her take a long pull from her glass and said "Got something' to tell you."

She looked at him over the rim of her glass and said "Oh god. Can it wait until I finish?"

"This might make you feel better, but I don't want you to get your hopes up."

Instantly alert, she said "Will! WHAT?"

"The officers that arrested Spencer in Mexico are having the knife tested again for his DNA. He didn't touch the handle, JJ. Only the blade."

She was on her feet in an instant, pacing. "How do you… never mind. This means if they don't find his DNA on the handle, there's no way he could've stabbed Rosa. It's proof, Will. They'll have to let him go!"

"It's gonna take a few days, and it might be inconclusive,  _cher_. But it's something."

"It is… it is… wait why don't we have the knife here?"

"Extradition of evidence takes a while. They're not bound by our court orders or requests. All we can do is ask nicely and hope they comply."

She walked away from him, shaking out her hands. Then turned around and looked at him. "You did this?"

He nodded. "I interroga- interviewed him when I saw a couple things that didn't add up. He told me he was sure he didn't grab the hilt, just the business end."

JJ smiled at him. The first real smile he'd seen since this whole thing began, and to him it was like oxygen flooded the room. He smiled back.

She moved to hug him, then, still smiling, pulled back and said, "Thank you, Will. So much. Did you tell Emily yet?"

She jumped a little as her phone rang. She dug it out of her back pocket and said "Speak of the devil, it's Emily."

"Hey, have I got something to tell you." she said.

"JJ, can you come over? I'd tell you to bring Will but I know someone has to stay with the boys. I hate to interrupt your evening, but it's regarding Reid." Emily said.

"I'll be right there." She said, and broke the connection.

Will watched with dread as his wife returned to her wild-eyed, desperate state, her momentary respite from his news overruled by yet another call.

"I wonder what fresh hell this is," she said, leaning over to grab her coat and bag. "I shouldn't be late, hopefully she'll have some info that we can actually move forward on. I'll tell her about the knife, and please text me if you hear anything."

He locked eyes with her, his gaze asking her not to leave.

"Will? Okay? Text me if you hear anything!" And she was out the door.

* * *

Derek Morgan and John Blackwolf stood at the scene, the setting sun casting an orange glow against their faces. Local authorities had been fine with cooperating with John, who was just a fellow cop in their eyes. They shared the coordinates, and Morgan GPSed the spot where the chase had ended, and Reid had been arrested.

"Why couldn't we just come out here tomorrow? It's almost dark." Morgan said.

"I didn't want the wind to disturb the tire imprints any more that has already been done. These tracks are important." He leaned down and examined the pattern in the dusty soil.

"How can you tell one set from the other?" Morgan said. "They all look similar to me."

"Much like what you do takes practice, so does tracking. Like when you were a profiler, you saw things that other's didn't. I also see things that others do not."

He stood and started following the one set of tire tracks that had driven into the desert. Morgan jogged to catch up, clicking his flashlight on.

* * *

JJ knocked on Emily's door, then let herself in. The living room was empty so she called "Hey, I'm here... anyone else?"

Emily came out of the hallway, and gestured for JJ to come take a seat at the dining room table. "I'll get the wine," she said.

"Em, what is it?" JJ said, sitting.

Emily came around the table and JJ noticed three glasses in her hand. Prentiss set them down and began filling them, as Fiona Duncan emerged from the hallway wearing a long robe, and barefoot, obviously very comfortable.

"Agent Jareau, hello," she said. "Sorry to be so casual, but it's late."

"JJ you know Fiona, take a look at the info she just received." Emily said, taking a sip of her wine.

Any surprise at seeing Reid's lawyer in Emily's apartment was quickly set aside as she took Fiona's offered phone and read the text.

Her heart dropped into her stomach as she read the news. From what the message said, Reid wasn't in protective custody.

She met Emily's gaze with panicked eyes. Spence was in general population.

"What... Emily, how...  _why isn't he in protective?"_

"We don't know. Fiona filed that order with the judge immediately. We think someone's been slowing down his paperwork, or interfering with the enforcement of the order."

"I can't do anything until the morning when the judge returns, but you can bet I'll be there first thing to get this corrected," Fiona said.

"JJ, while she's doing that, I need to go meet the team and brief everyone. Can you go to Reid? I've already left a message that you'll be visiting him in the morning so you shouldn't meet with any resistance."

JJ stared at her friend, and looked to Fiona, too.

"Em... that means he's in that... there, all alone with nobody to protect him. He's in with...  _Emily!"_

She moved to grab JJ's hand across the table and she caught her terrified eyes with her own practiced calm. "Listen, I know, I know... but you're going to be there first thing in the morning and you will be the first thing he sees and you'll let him know we're fixing this. Please, JJ."

 _"Please, JJ?"_  she replied, angry now. "Yeah, you're goddamned right I'll be there, and they'll be damned lucky if I don't rip the heads off of anyone who's even looked at him!" What the hell, Emily... Fiona?" she said, dropping the honorific. "How could this happen?"

"That's what I'm going to find out, Agent Jareau. We'll get it fixed, I assure you," Fiona said, as she met Emily's eyes over the table. "Frankly I don't see how this was overlooked. It should have been automatic."

Emily said, "JJ, that's all we know tonight. Go home and get some rest, we're gonna have a long day tomorrow. She looked at her friend's stricken face. "Or...would you rather stay here tonight? Save you some drive time in the morning."

JJ thought about her boys safely tucked in for the night, and the last thing she wanted to do was go home and explain all of this to Will. She nodded, then reached for her glass. "I'll stay here, thanks.

Fiona took a seat at the table, and the women talked far into the night, planning their strategy, JJ sharing what she knew about the knife blade, and Emily telling them what John and Morgan were up to. His part was unofficial, and they weren't to let anyone but the team know. He was in near-constant touch with Garcia, and she would keep them posted as to his findings.

All throughout, JJ's terror for Spencer's well being was a constant buzz in the back of her head. She didn't yet know how she was going to get him out of there, but she was resolved to spend everything she had inside her, and more, to make sure he was safe. To make sure he came back to her whole and completely exonerated.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

He knew it was her before he got there. They never told them who their visitors were, but he could  _feel_  her. The line of prisoners stretching before him couldn't move fast enough, yet at the same time he dreaded seeing her. Seeing her in this place again, the last place in the world she belonged. All because of his stupid mistakes, his choices. He hoped she had news about his case. He didn't want to hear about Henry and Michael and the team... as much as he loved them he needed to block them out right now. All he cared about was getting out,  _getting out_... and getting back to work, back to his mother, back to... her.

There she was.

She stood as he approached, her radiant smile blasted into his soul so forcefully it took his breath. He moved to her, and involuntarily reached his hand out to her and she grasped it, squeezed it, before the inevitable "NO TOUCHING!" shout from the guard. They dropped hands and stood staring at each other, a thick ripple of emotion shimmered between them as JJ's chest filled with the sight of him. Relief spread as she noticed no bruises or bandages, and the lump in her throat choked her as she realized that this is what they'd come to.  _That_  was their criteria, now?

"SIT DOWN!" came the bark from the guard. They obeyed.

JJ leaned forward, arched her eyebrows and locking eyes with him said,  _sotto voce_ , "Tell me how you're doing." It was a command, more than a question, and Spencer understood immediately that they had to be clear with each other about this before they could continue.

"JJ I'm okay. I'm scared shitless, and I'm unsure of what happens from moment to moment, but I... I..." He broke eye contact and she sensed his confusion, his hesitation. He looked back into the blue of her eyes and sat up straight. "I need to know what's happening."

She saw then his control and his focus, and she took her cue from that, feeding it. She explained everything she knew about the knife, about Fiona's filing for protective, and what they thought the delay meant.

And she told him about Morgan with Blackwolf in Mexico.

Spencer grimaced. "Damnit. I didn't want him involved. That's why I didn't want him to come see me. I don't want him to get caught up in anything dangerous, and he's not FBI any more! He can't just-"

"Yes he can, Spence." she interrupted. "He's a private citizen, he can go to Mexico whenever he wants, and he's got John with him. If anyone can find whoever was driving that truck, it's those two."

"JJ, his baby, his family. He  _left_  the team, the Bureau because of this kind of thing. Exactly this kind of thing," he said.

"Yeah, and he jumped right back in because he loves you and believes in you. He's the best person to be doing this right now, and you know you would've done the same for him, Spence. Don't even try to say you wouldn't have."

"Yeah, I know," he said. He sat back hard against the chair, overwhelmed and grateful for Morgan's sacrifice, and knowing she spoke the truth.

"Good, then let's stop with the worrying about everyone else and concentrate on how we're getting you out of here." JJ said, leaning forward and crossing her arms.

He realized then, that he hadn't asked how she was doing.

"It can't be easy... coming here, looking after my mom, working the cases, working my case... and then, your boys, your family. JJ... tell me how you're doing." His focus reluctantly broke from her shining eyes and found her carotid artery. He knew it would tell the truth, even if she wouldn't.

She didn't want to hear that question, didn't want to answer it. She felt strung out, stretched beyond her capacity and some moments she just wanted to scream with frustration and the unfairness of it all. There was no way she was going to tell him that. Her eyelids fluttered as she looked down and to the side, a classic aversion move.

Of course, he caught it. But then she raised her head and looked at him solidly, her gaze steady. He could handle it.

"I'm messed up. I'm stretched as tight as a wire and I... I miss you and I love you and sometimes it's all too much. I feel at any moment that I could lose it. That I could  _lose it_ , Spence. I feel like things are moving underwater and so, so slow. So slow that it makes me angry. I know you're innocent and I want you home with me... with us... god. It's all I can do not to grab you and hold on for dear life right now and I swear to you, I  _swear_  to you, you will not have to endure this much longer. Please trust me and just know that we are all working to free you.  _All_  of us."

An altercation broke out across the room and while the guard was distracted, JJ saw her moment. She reached up and grabbed his face, kissing him hard and whispering against his mouth "I love you, I love you... please keep it together... I will get you out of here, I promise."

Spencer took advantage of the moment too and cupped her face, his thumbs stroking her cheekbones. "I will... stay strong for you, for all of you. I love you and I'll never let you down again god I swear..."

She nodded as her temple pressed against his and she knew they had but seconds. She could give him one parting gift.

"Think of me tonight," she whispered, "I'll be right there with you. I love you and I'll be right there...  _feel me_ , Spence."

They broke apart just as the guard turned back and yelled "TIME'S UP," and he motioned for Spencer to fall in line.

He watched her as he was pulled away, and he turned and walked backwards to keep eye contact. The guard strong-armed him and made him turn around, but the blue of her eyes was seared into his mind, his heart, more than ever before. Her words and her love were life, and truth, and they fueled him and made him strong and sure of his worth and he knew, he knew, he'd be vindicated, and soon.

In line walking back to his cell he touched his lips, still feeling hers. He'd thought long and hard about what this meant – her revelation, her choice. He felt in some ways like the luckiest man on Earth despite where he was, and his dreams of her were vivid with desire and a bottomless well of unbridled love. For her, for them, for the life they would soon begin together.

He wasn't delusional. He knew the boys, or at least Henry, would be confused for a time. But they'd take things slow... ease him into it. Family hardship was never easy, though he was intimately familiar with it himself, he planned on respecting JJ's wishes when it came to how to proceed to ensure their well-being. Whatever she wanted, that was how it would go. He would see to that.

Will was another matter. Spencer's eyes narrowed, the sour brine of jealousy seeping into the edges of his thoughts, a useless emotion. He harbored no malice towards the man, he knew. Will was a decent human being in most respects. But ever since he'd been made aware of her love and his own banked fire had been blown back to life, he had been ready and willing to fight for her, for them. Literally, if need be.

Intellectually he knew that JJ wouldn't tolerate any of that. That she would lay down the parameters, and that he would align with her, would carry them out, and that they would do it together. That it would be as peaceful as they all could make it, their transition, and there was no doubt he owed Will a debt for pursuing the knife DNA. Still - and here he didn't know if his incarceration and his ill-treatment by the prisoners was having an effect on his psyche - but when he dreamt of picking up Will and throwing him clear across the Grand Canyon, he always felt a deep satisfaction upon waking.

What she'd said...  _"Think of me tonight, I'll be right there with you..."_  God, what a gift. To imagine himself with her, holding her... not in this place, not ever, but anywhere else. For the first time since this whole nightmare began, he found himself looking forward to lights out. His powerful mind would conjure the most loving, the most beautiful scenario imaginable. Only then would he bring her into it. Only then.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

John Blackwolf stood staring at the horizon, his eyes closed, the last glow of the day struggling to cling to the desert landscape.

He heard Morgan's footfalls behind him and he turned, catching the faintest odor of motor oil on the dying wind.

"Horses," he said.

"Say again?" Morgan questioned.

"Tomorrow when we head back out here, we'll need horses. A vehicle will interfere with the messages the wind carries, and it's too enclosed from the elements. I'll lose the trail."

Morgan was skeptical, and had been on a horse exactly twice in his life. Both times on a romantic beach, riding bareback with his wife as the animal gently plodded through the waves lapping against the shoreline. And she had held the reins.

John noticed his look and said "Let me guess. You don't ride?"

"Gimme a break, man. I'm Chicago born and raised. Not much chance of running into a pony on the parkway, you feel me?"

John nodded and began the hike back to the car. "You'll see what I mean. I have an idea of where we need to go, but the earth and the wind will give me signals as we ride. I don't think this is going to be as difficult as I first thought. Right now though, I need dinner."

Morgan watched as the man moved away, noticing his gait and the ease with which he navigated the scrub and cacti, even without illumination. Derek grinned as he clicked his flashlight back on, lighting the way back to the car. He'd definitely recruited the right man for the job.

* * *

Emily and Fiona lay facing each other in the former's plush, oversized bed, hands entwined, the cool, Egyptian cotton sheets loosely tangled around the both of them. The stress of the last few days and Reid's case had been eased by their intense coupling, and it was a welcome respite. Emily was pleased that they'd resumed both their physical and working relationship, as she'd always felt an easy affinity with Fiona, even back in the day before they'd embarked on any  _adult_  pursuits.

"Better?" Fiona asked.

"Tons." Emily looked into her eyes and said "I needed this and you knew it." She dusted Fiona's hand with a few small kisses.

"But...?" Fiona pushed.

Emily side-eyed and sat up, taking a sip of water from the glass on the nightstand before offering it over.

"I just can't let it go, I'm sorry. Even for a moment like this. He doesn't deserve this and I feel so... inept. He needs us, needs me to be working against this injustice around the clock and I feel like I'm fighting this invisible foe, this monster that has my friend trapped, and nothing is making sense or happening fast enough." She ran her hands through her hair and Fiona sat up next to her.

"Em, as of tomorrow morning he's in protective. I made a formal query to the judge as to why he isn't already, and without just cause they can't delay it. He'll be safe... safer... until we get more. We're working as quickly as we can. You have to trust the system... it will-"

"That's just it, Fee, I don't." Emily felt her tension returning and she gestured impatiently. "He shouldn't be there in the first place and us having to jump through hoops and struggle to get him basic protections and... and JJ. I'm worried about her too. She's usually the coolest head of all of us, and she's... undone by this. I don't know if you've picked up on how close they are, but I can see her feeling every second of this. It's making her crazy."

Fiona turned and took Emily's face in her hands, her thumb brushing across Em's lips. She looked into her eyes and said "Shhh, look. I know it's bad. I do. I am not minimizing any of this at all. You're all suffering and I see it and I need you to know that we will  _make it right._  But right now I need you to hear me when I tell you there is not a single thing we can do about any of it tonight. Tomorrow is a new day and we will go there and let him know that we are working for him every minute. And JJ knows, Emily. She knows. She would not trust anyone else but you and your team to be on Spencer's side, fighting for him."

They lay down again, ready for sleep, Emily the big spoon, and as she draped her arm around her inamorata, she did her best to let the day go. She murmured into Fiona's hair "G'nite, Fee. I'm glad you're here. Thank you."

Fiona squeezed Emily's hand as she slid it up between her breasts, a comfort move. "G'nite, Em", she said, her eyes open and glittering in the dark.

* * *

Will lay quietly in bed, JJ snoring softly by his side, her back to him. He watched the slight movement of her shoulder rise and fall as she breathed. She was so wiped out these days, always exhausted. She'd been to the prison today, again. After bathing the boys and reading to them, she was spent. Will had done the dinner dishes as she prepared for bed, and he had hoped they'd have a few moments to share, to talk about their day, but when he came into the bedroom she'd already fallen asleep. Or pretended to. Sleep didn't come easy to him, lately. It was as if he felt this nearly imperceptible undercurrent of... something. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

His phone lit up and he picked it up off the nightstand. Mexico. The results of Reid's DNA test on the knife hilt. He read it, looked over at his sleeping wife, and shut off his phone, setting it back down. He reached for her and buried his face in her hair, the familiar scent of jasmine comforting him. He convinces himself he'll tell her the results tomorrow as he tries, unsuccessfully, to relax. Tomorrow.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

They got an early start, first light. Blackwolf had shown Morgan basic horsemanship, and had let him know how sensitive the animal was. That it didn't take a lot of strength to control them, they just had to know you were confident, that you knew what you wanted. If not, the horse would take over and it would become a struggle just to stay on. Most experienced horses would try to unseat an insecure rider. They set an easy pace with John taking the lead, and Morgan slowly began to get comfortable in his saddle.

As the sun rose higher hour by hour, the desert began to shimmer around them, a mirage of silvery heat waves. John warned to watch for snakes, as nothing would spook a horse faster than a rattler.

"Him and me both," said Morgan. He squinted up at the brightening sky, puffy white clouds moved swiftly to block the sun, then just as swiftly were blown clear. Blackwolf was grateful for the breeze that brought him vestiges, traces of what had come before, just days earlier. The tire tracks were harder to follow as they got deeper into scrub and cacti, but it was easy to see even to Morgan's untrained eye that a truck had plowed through, crushing some of the vegetation.

They took a break mid-morning and while Morgan gave the horses apples and water, Blackwolf got his bearings, walking a perimeter to triangulate and establish they were on the right track. The flora was thinner here, giving way to an endless vista of earth and rocks. He bent down and felt the tire ridges in the dirt, stiff with the passage of days. The scent of motor oil hit him again briefly, imperceptibly stronger on the breeze. They were close.

He squinted up at Morgan. "You ready to pick up the pace?"

* * *

JJ woke with a start.  _What time is it?_  she thought, immediately panicky. She reached for her phone on the nightstand, the display showing 5:25am. She lay back and took a deep breath, relieved.  _Get ahold of yourself, damn_.

She looked over at the sleeping Will and felt a surge of tenderness for him, for what he went through every day to facilitate her actions, her priorities, her work, her need to free Spence. She trusted him. Cold guilt ran through her veins as she admitted to herself that he trusted her too.

She had to tell him. Soon.

Right now, there was breakfast, and sack lunches to be made, and clean clothes to be laid out. The boys would be starting their day in just over an hour, and she wanted everything to be ready for them. This was important, she do this. She needed their lives to be as untouched by all of this as possible, for them to feel as though all was normal. She too needed to feel some semblance of normal, though she didn't go so far as to admit that she was using them to have that. Everything else might be askew in her life, but not her relationship with her sons.

She pushed back the covers and got out of bed carefully so as not to disturb Will, and slid her feet into her sherpa slippers. She crept out of the room glancing back once more at his still back, glad she hadn't woke him.

Will's eyes were open. They had been since he heard her jerk herself awake, and the immediate grab for her phone. He heard her sigh and lie back down, and he felt her get up and out of bed, so slowly. He reached for his phone and thumbed the last message he'd received last night.

_"Dr. Reid's DNA was not present on the murder weapon's hilt, or anywhere else except where he had grabbed the knife's blade. You were right."_

"JJ," he called, his voice raised above his usual quiet tone.

She appeared at the bedroom door, apron on, spatula in hand, flour dusted on her nose, and said "What is it, Will? I'm making breakfast tacos!"

She couldn't quite keep the irritation out of her voice, and he couldn't help but smile. She looked so cute, so 'at home', so into her task and she looked... like she used to before all this began. Like his wife. Sudden tears pressed behind his eyes as he took in the sight of her, and he set down his phone.

"Nothin' cher. It can wait," he said, his voice soft.

She disappeared and he flung his legs over the side of bed and got up. There was no way he was missing one moment of this. He'd tell her about Mexico... he would. Soon.

* * *

Reid woke up hard. Another night filled with dreams and nightmares. At least this night he'd dreamed of her, her and Henry's drawing. He picked up his pencil stub and opened his journal. Taking a breath, he reached for his glasses and put them on. His heart was still pounding, and he could feel the sweat cooling on his forehead.

He writes, freestyle, no paragraphs. It's the only way he can get it down fast enough:

_More corridors, more darkness. An endless maze with no escape, no hope. Then JJ's there, she laughs and holds up Henry's drawing. She wads it up and throws it at me, it becomes a ball of fire and she turns and runs away, laughing. I follow her, run after her but she's too fast and I can't... the drawing is buried in my chest, still burning, burning a hole through my skin and I fall to my knees. She's there. She's back and she's on her knees too and she touches the hole in my chest and it stops burning, stops hurting. She leans down and kisses it and I feel fine, feel perfect. A wall of men come up behind her but they're really behind me and they grab my arms and legs and they pull me away. So fast, they are so fast and JJ reaches for me but she winks out like a dying flashlight and I'm alone with the men and they fall on me. Hundreds of them fall on me, a crushing pile, and with each one I feel my bones crack, I can't take their weight. I feel the drawing... it's burning again but it's burning the men this time. And they scream and die and fall off of me and I'm lighter and stronger now and I start pushing them off. And the drawing is burning through them all, the whole pile, like acid it burns through them, up, up. The last one I push off of me and I finally stand, but it flies away, it goes the same way JJ went, and it gets brighter. I hold my hands up to shield my face but it's not burning now. It's lighting the corridor. It stops and I run to catch up to it and it matches my pace, zig-zagging through the corridors, lighting the way. I turn the last corner and it's not there, it's gone. There's a wooden door ahead. A massive, heavy wooden door with iron bracket hinges and there's a lock, a huge lock. I know she's on the other side. I fumble with the lock, I try all the latches... no good. I can't. I can't come this far and not get out. I get angry, so mad, and I run at the door and I push against it and I scream my rage, so loud, so forceful. The door gives and I feel it move under my hands. I push harder and harder and it falls. It falls like an oak in the woods and light fills the corridor again. She's there and she smiles and she puts her hands in her pockets. I reach for her and she walks to me and I... wake up._

Reid's counselor, known only to him as Dr. Nguyen, leaned back in his chair and said "You read that well, it was like you were experiencing it again."

"I was," Reid replied.

"Did you feel the same intensity?"

"Sort of, but not really. I feel much more safe here in your office," Reid said.

"The symbolism-" began the doctor.

"-was obvious," said Reid.

Dr. Nguyen said, "We have to be careful Spencer, about interpreting dreams literally. You may think and feel that JJ will get you out of here, but remember that it's just-"

"-the way the brain suppresses the rational, controlled activity of the prefontal cortex while allowing the more primitive, emotional side associated with the amygdala to run riot may be a way of keeping us safely sane by allowing us to "go crazy" in our nightly dreams, while simultaneously working out our emotional problems...yes. But to me, it resonated. She  _is_  my hero. She's always been."

"Do you feel you are hers?"

Spencer looked down at his journal and tossed it on the small table in front of him.

"Not right now."

The doctor removed his glasses and said, "I think the dream was significant, in that she used the power of your godson's love to light your way, and herself as bait to get you to break down that door, confident you would. Heady stuff."

Spencer leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "So she was there to encourage me, support me, but in the end  _I_  set myself free."

Dr. Nguyen nods, smiles briefly. "Okay, I think that's all for today. Thank you for sharing your journal again. Same time next week?" The men both stood.

"If I'm still here."

"You always say that."

"Yeah. Hope springs eternal."

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Will stared at his phone. As he read the message for the hundredth time, the weight of that information was not lost on him. It was a plank sitting squarely across his shoulders, and he knew the right thing to do. The right thing was to tell her, right now. So why was he hesitating? What was the reason he couldn't bring himself to say the words he knew she so desperately needed to hear?

He closed his eyes and opened his mind, and his heart. If they were going to get through this he was going to have to be honest with himself, first and foremost. He did not want to admit that jealousy was behind this... but it was. He was jealous of his wife's depth of feeling for Spencer, her mania at his predicament, and her non-stop, all encompassing concern for another man's well-being, friend or not. He knew that Reid was in love with JJ, everyone did, but for the first time he bluntly admitted to himself that her feelings for  _him_  were more than he'd ever wanted to believe.

Before this had happened, he'd only had to put up with the occasional gathering to see how easily they interacted with each other. And he knew for a fact that he had never had to worry about their away cases. He was confident JJ had never cheated on him, nor would Spencer have ever pushed her to. The LaMontagnes had built their life together, and Will had made himself an integral and indispensible part of JJ's immediacy, and her and the boys' future. He knew too, that she cared for him, appreciated him... but he had seen years ago that the depth of her intense and passionate devotion was reserved for someone else.

And he knew now that someone else was Reid.

As he felt his dread solidifying, he tried to think rationally. What would withholding this information help? Nothing, really. It would come out anyway, and JJ would hear that he had the info first and chose not to share it. What would she think of him then? How would she feel? Not to mention, was he the kind of man that could do that to Reid? No, he'd like to think not. His wife was suffering right now. He had to forward her the message at the very least. If he couldn't bring himself to hear the joy in her voice when she heard the news, then he at the very least  _had_  to send it to her phone.

Didn't he?

* * *

John Blackwolf spoke Spanish, fluently. It surprised Morgan, though it shouldn't have. He allowed himself a flash of envy at the breadth and scope of John's knowledge, though he was aware that he possessed his own gifts. It seemed like there really wasn't anything this guy couldn't do, given the right opportunity.

The language came in handy when they came upon a low building in the distance poking up from the desert scrub. As they rode in, they noticed two men out front sitting on a bench on the short porch. It wasn't a dwelling, that they could tell, more like a way station. Closer in, they could see jugs of water stacked high, and a lone gas pump that looked broken.

One of the men stood as they neared. Morgan could see he was the younger of the two, and there was a resemblance, so probably a father and son. He stayed on his horse while John waved and dismounted, calling out  _"Hola, amigos!"_  in greeting.

The younger man started forward, picking up a large tree branch as he went.  _"Que deseas?"_  he shouted.

Blackwolf glanced at Morgan. "He's asking what we want."

There began a conversation in quick Spanish that Morgan was unable to follow, except for the escalating tone of the younger man. It didn't sound good, and the look on the son's face confirmed it.

The older man had been checking them out, doing his own version of profiling, and spoke up in heavily accented English. "Pardon my nephew, friends. When we see people they are usually after water or gas, and will take it without any thought of payment. Since I see you have your own water, and you are on horseback in no need of gas, how can we help you?"

Morgan spoke up. "We're tracking a vehicle, a truck, that may have passed through here about two weeks ago."

John looked at Morgan, eyebrows arched.

"Okay...  _did_  pass through here a couple of weeks ago. Black, four-wheel drive. Do you remember a truck like that at all?"

The older man slowly got to his feet using a sturdy cane, as the nephew rushed to help him. The man patted the boy's hand and gestured for John and Derek to follow him. They walked behind the building as the boy tied the horses to a post. The man, whose name was Hector, told them "I have been expecting someone to come."

Behind the building there loomed a large shape against one wall, covered by several tarps. Hector made a gesture like lifting off the tarps and Morgan did, exposing a black truck, just like the one they were seeking.

Morgan looked at Blackwolf as he asked "How did you come to have this? Did you see the person who left it here?"

Hector nodded. "They traded it. They gave me five thousand American dollars and this truck in trade."

"In trade for what?" Morgan asked.

Hector gestured for the two men to look behind them. A rudimentary landing strip the length of a football field had been cleared of brush and debris behind the way station. Hector looked serious as he made the gesture of a plane taking off.

John looked openly into Hector's face as he asked in Spanish "Do you know where he went, did he file a flight plan?"

Hector looked down, shaking his head no. But then he looked up and met Blackwolf's gaze. "But I never said it was a  _'he'_."

 


End file.
